Safeguarding Children

    SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

    The Football Association is committed to a safe, enjoyable and inclusive environment for young people in football whether they are players, referees, coaches or volunteers and therefore has a simple 3-part approach to safeguarding which includes:
    • ‘The Right People’ – Seeking references and criminal records checks
    • Raising Awareness’ – Education and best practice
    • ‘Dealing with Concerns’ – Policy, procedures and referrals
    The FA requires everybody who works or volunteers in youth football in an unsupervised role with children such as managers and coaches to have an in date accepted FA CRC Enhanced Disclosure.
    Applications should be completed online through the FA’s Online Service and only cost £10 for volunteers. Clubs can register to use this service by contacting the FA Criminal Records Body on 0845 210 8080 or via email to FAchecks@The FA.com.
     
    Every youth club must appoint a designated person to look after safeguarding children issues. This Club Welfare Officer (CWO) must have attended an FA Safeguarding Children Workshop, completed an FA CRC disclosure and attended a Club Welfare Officer Workshop. This is an affiliation requirement each season.
     
    The CWO manages to CRC process within their club and should be on the Club’s management committee and known to all in the club.


    All concerns regarding a young person in your club should be shared with your CWO who can liaise with both the League and County FA Designated Safeguarding Officer and/or other statutory agencies. They in turn liaise with a Case Officer in the FA Equality and Child Protection department at Wembley.
     

    The FA’s Safeguarding Children Workshop is a must for all involved in coaching, refereeing and supervising children in football.
     
    Club Secretaries, Chairpersons, Treasurers and CWOs must all complete the free FA online course, Safeguarding for Committee Members.


    Please remember that Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone involved in youth football, from coaches, managers, referees, parents and spectators. ‘Let’s make football safe – not sorry’.


    The FA has a dedicated area for Safeguarding on their website which includes best practice guidance on a number of issues including use of Social media and photography in football. http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding
    For more information on Safeguarding please contact your League Welfare Officer, Anita Russell (telephone 020 8392 2213; email anitaprussell@hotmail.co.uk)

     

    SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

    The FA has a network of 10,000 volunteer Welfare Officers supported by 50 County FA Designated Safeguarding Teams

       London FA                                                             London FA

       Designated Safeguarding Officer                            Designated Safeguarding Officer

       Harry Woodley                                                               Kate Milton

        M:  07525 237 348                                                M: 07938 489 199 

       T:  020 7610 8360                                                  T: 020 7610 8360                                       

       Safeguarding@londonfa.com                                 Safeguarding@londonfa.com                          

     

       Kent County FA                                                     Kent County FA                                     

       Designated Safeguarding Officer                            Designated Safeguarding Officer (Assistant)

       Lucy Kidd                                                                Laura Hawkins

       T: 01622 792140                                                    T: 01622 792140           

       Safeguarding@kentfa.com                                     Safeguarding@kentfa.com                     

     

        Surrey County FA    

       Designated Safeguarding Officer

       Phil Rendell      

       T: 01372 384090   

       M: 07939538632  

       Safeguarding@surreyfa.com  


       Sussex County FA                                               Sussex County FA  

       Designated Safeguarding Manager                        Assistant            

       Annette Madden                                                                       Karen Harrington

       T: 01903 753547 (#228)                                       T: 01903 753547 (#229)                     

       annette.madden@sussexfa.com                                     Karen.harrington@sussexfa.com 



                             

    FA/NSPCC 24 hour free & confidential helpline

    0808 800 5000       help@nspcc.org.uk

    FA Safeguarding Team

    0800 169 1863   safeguarding@TheFA.com

    Child Protection in Sport Unit

    cspu@nspcc.org.uk

    Child Line – Free, private & confidential advice line

    0800 1111   www.childline.org.uk